GOP OUTLINES MEDICARE PLAN

Republicans presented a sketch of House Speaker Newt Gingrich's plan to trim $270 billion over the next seven years from Medicare. The plan encourages older people to enroll in a variety of private health care plans, and would almost double monthly premiums to around $90 by the year 2002. Republicans were careful to stress that the increases individuals would pay were only $7-$10 more per month than called for under the Clinton Administration's plan, which would cut $124 billion from overall spending. President Clinton today blasted the Gingrich plan, charging that the GOP plan was billing elderly Medicare recipients more in order to pay for tax cuts for upper-income Americans. Neither party has presented the full details of their plan, notes congressional correspondent Karen Tumulty. "Rather than an unveiling, the Republican announcement was more of a striptease. Without the numbers it is impossible to evaluate." The Republicans will present their full plan on Friday.